There is space for 125 cows in this yard with a feeding space for 150 cows. It contains a mixture of dairy cows, which are 3 weeks post calving and 5 months in calf, these are deemed as the high group.
In February 2023, the locking yokes were removed and replaced with a single feed rail. This replacement has seen a noticable increase in feed intakes, as the removal of the yokes has allowed for an extra 50 cows to eat at any one time. It has also meant that cows stand in a more natural position at the feed rail, as they are now standing more squarely and have less pressure exerted on their body. This group is milked first at every milking.
We have approximately 50 cows in this section that consists of mid lactation and pregnant cows. This period of the cow’s lactation cycle is roughly between 100 to 200 days after calving, when milk production is at its peak. These animals are fed the same diet as the main group, as they require a high-quality diet to support milk production and increase body weight.
This group has room for 52 cows and is dedicated to late lactation and barren cows. These cows are fed a specifically low diet with less starch, protein and energy content, as the pregnant animals are due to be dried off as their dry matter intake and milk production has decreased.
There are a maximum of 90 heifers in this group and they are all in their first lactation. The grouping of heifers together allows for equal sized animals to live together and reduces the impact of hierarchy or bullying that could take place. But for the benefit of the heifers, there may be a few older, calm cows in this group to provide a calming effect for the heifers, as these older cows also seek a quieter environment.
The heifer total mixed ration (TMR) diet has a higher protein level than the main herd diet because the heifers are at 90% of their adult weight, but they still need to grow whilst producing milk and get back in calf after the voluntary wait period of 70 days, for increased chance of recovery and for them to have future successful lactations.
Calving cows are checked throughout the day and the farm staff operate a rota for night checks. Once a cow is calving the farm staff move her into a clean calving box, as it is a safe place for both the farm staff and the animal if intervention is needed. Once a calf is born the dam gets a fresh cow drink, which is a warm drink of around 30 litres with a sachet of electrolytes that provides energy, vitamins and calcium. If the cow is in her 3rd or above lactation she will receive a calcium bolus as well. The calf is given at least 4 litres of warm pasteurised colostrum, that has been quality tested and frozen in special bags for storage, the calf is also tagged and the navel is dipped with iodine. The calf is then moved to the calf unit and the cow joins the fresh milking group with ad-lib access to a fresh cow total mixed ration (TMR) diet.
The dairy unit also has access to a mobile milking machine that can be used to milk any cow in the calving pen, should the farm staff need immediate colostrum for the calf or feel that the cow needs time to recover post calving before entering the milking parlour.
This group can be split into two; fresh heifers on the far left and fresh cows on the near left side of the cow housing building. These dairy cows will stay in this group for at least a minimum of 3 weeks, allowing them time to recover after calving and give the staff opportunity to monitor their feed intakes and check them for any signs of ill health such as milk fever or retained fetal membranes.
Cows are given fresh cow checks by the vet 21 days post-calving, their blood ketones are checked and an internal exam is provided to check for cleanliness of the reproductive tract. If it is identified during the check that the cow has low rumen fill she may be given a specialised drench with added electrolytes and minerals such as rumen forte or glycol.
There are never more than 30 cows in either group. Due to the small group size it allows them to have extra feed face space with greater access to water troughs and a choice of cubicles to lie in. These cows are milked last for practical reasons as some may still be on milk withhold post calving (due to medicine withdrawal period or the cow still producing colostrum) and it allows for extra staff time in the parlour for the new milking heifers.
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